I have been vague on here before, so let me get all of the details out first.

I took the September 2009 LSAT and got a 152. I took the February 2010 test and got a 146 (no sleep at all). Immediately after the test, I applied to four schools: Capital, Ohio State, Case Western, and Cleveland State. I almost immediately heard from three of them--deferred by OSU, accepted into Capital, and waitlisted at CSU.

However, in mid-April, a Case Western adcomm contacted me and asked if I was planning on taking the June test. I had discussions with several adcomms and confirmed that they would put my application on hold until I received my June LSAT score. I called the law school and set up a tour with an adcomm to make sure I wasn't wasting my time taking the LSAT again. I felt like I made a good impression on them (well dressed, articulate, asked a lot of specific questions about the law school) and let them know that I would take the June test.

I took the June test and got a 158. That is one point below their median and my GPA is a 3.63, .25 above their median. With those numbers, I was listed as a "strong consider" on LSP. I figured I would at least get waitlisted and have a slight chance of sneaking into the 2010 entering class. At the worst, I assumed I would get on the waitlist and just receive a "stealth rejection," then reapply for the 2010-11 admissions cycle.

Well, today I received an email notifying me that I was denied admission. Not only was the decision incredibly disappointing, but it has really shaken my confidence for re-applying next year.

Still, Case Western remains my number one school. I love the building (brand new multi-million dollar renovation), location (grew up in NE Ohio), and internet law program (one of the best of its kind in the country). I plan on turning in my applications on the very first day that they are open this year.

So, with all of that said, I have two very critical questions. It would be greatly appreciated if you responded with a 1) in response to question one and a 2) when responding to question two.

1) Should I calm down and realize that I was most likely rejected because I applied so incredibly late in the cycle?

2) How should I approach the personal statement? I know I should rewrite it, but should it have a theme of patience/sacrifice since I am taking a year off just for a chance to go there? Should I just stick to the traditional "this is why I want to be a lawyer/go to your school" format? Should it be a mix between the two? Other ideas?

Sorry if those questions are vague, but any and all help is greatly appreciated.